1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:05,200 Speaker 1: All Zone Media. 2 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 2: Welcome to can Happening here. 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 3: I'm Andrew Sage from the YouTube channel Andrewism and I'm 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 3: joined again by James Andrew Welcome back time to talk 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 3: about political cults again. 6 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 2: Oh good fine. 7 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 3: Continuing with the work of Dennis Tourist and Tim Wolforth 8 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 3: in their book on the Edge Political Cults Left and Right. 9 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 3: I've spoken before about the cult recruitment process, the contractory 10 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 3: positions held by cult members, ideological totalism, and the commonalities 11 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 3: of political cults, including rigid belief systems, immunity to fortification, authoritarianism, 12 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 3: arbitrary leadership, the verification of leaders, intense activism, and the 13 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 3: use of loaded language. And speaking of loaded language. I 14 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 3: know that some people don't like the term cult because 15 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 3: it is, you know, very charged. I prefer personally. I 16 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 3: know that other terms are used, such as high control 17 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 3: groups or new religious movements, but I'm sticking to cults. 18 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 3: My question for you, James, do you think that you 19 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 3: would be susceptible to a cult? 20 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 4: One hopes not. We spoke about like authoritarian personalities before, 21 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 4: and I wonder if there's something similar for people who 22 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 4: end up in cults. But I'm sure there's something that 23 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 4: could get any of us. You know, we all have 24 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 4: our like susceptibilities to these things. But I hope it 25 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 4: wouldn't be for sure. 26 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 3: I mean, one would like to think, you know, yeah, 27 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 3: I'm feel different, you know, I would. 28 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 2: Into a cult. 29 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 3: But you know, really, especially considering the the paucity of 30 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 3: community these days, it's a little wonder that's many people 31 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 3: find a home in such harmful and abusive spaces. So 32 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 3: previously I've touched on the Laruche movements, the Newman Tendency, 33 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 3: and the United Red Army of Japan, the latter of 34 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 3: which ended up killing some people. Today we'll be looking 35 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 3: at another case study, not nearly as extreme, but still 36 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 3: quite abusive, this time the infamous Marlene Dixon and her 37 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 3: Democratic Workers Party. 38 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 2: Oh fun times, fun times. 39 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 3: Indeed, I also got some information on Dixon's activity, not 40 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 3: just from on the Edge, but also from the book 41 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 3: Bounded Choice, True Believers and Charismatic Cults by Janja Lalich, 42 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 3: who was actually a member of Dixon's Democratic Workers' Party 43 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 3: for ten years. I like that a lot of books 44 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 3: written a bold cults are written by former cult members. 45 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, I think it can be like the 46 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 4: point you raised your initial question, right, Like everyone likes 47 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 4: to think they're specially and not susceptible, And I can 48 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 4: see how books written about them could be written from 49 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,519 Speaker 4: a place of like condescension or you know, other ring. 50 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 4: So I think it's always good when folks who have 51 00:02:58,080 --> 00:02:59,839 Speaker 4: survived these things could write about them. 52 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure, for sure. I mean, one of the 53 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 3: authors on the Edge, Tim wolf If he was also 54 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 3: part of a Trotskyist cult. So these are people who 55 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 3: are speaking from experience. 56 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 4: Yeah. I was writing about cults long before I started 57 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 4: this podcast, So there was some weird cut like behaviors 58 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 4: and endurance sports. And I spoke to an expert and 59 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 4: she also was a survivor and introduced me to some 60 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 4: other survivors of some more sort of classic left political cults. 61 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 4: And like, it wasn't something I ever really felt comfortable 62 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 4: like narrating their experiences. I would rather they narrate their experiences. 63 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 4: It was really interesting to see how many of them 64 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 4: were like so willing to write about it and to 65 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 4: talk about it and wanted to educate people about it. 66 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:44,119 Speaker 2: Yeah. 67 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 3: I mean, one of the reasons I'm particularly passionate about 68 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 3: political cults is just the way that they sap the energy, 69 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 3: the passion, and the drive the potential of what should be. 70 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 3: You know, people involved a really positive change, they end 71 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 3: up getting sucked in and their energies get sapped by 72 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 3: these causes by these leaders that just sort of divertes 73 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 3: their potential trajectory. 74 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. 75 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 4: Absolutely, I think anyone who was active in the United 76 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 4: States on the left in twenty twenty can attest to 77 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 4: the ability of some of these groups to just cut 78 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 4: the soul out of a popular movement which was making 79 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:29,040 Speaker 4: a positive difference at one point. 80 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 2: Right, So let's get into it. 81 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 3: Marlene Dixon was born into a family that valued education 82 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 3: and intellectual pursuit. From a young age, she was immoved 83 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 3: in an environment that fostered deep appreciation for learning and 84 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 3: critical thinking, and this foundation significantly influenced her future path 85 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 3: set in the stage for her academic and political endeavors. 86 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 3: Growing up, Dickson showed an early interest in sociology, a 87 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 3: field that would later to become her academic and professional focus. 88 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:03,039 Speaker 3: She pursued higher edu with a passion, earning her undergraduate 89 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 3: degree and going on to complete a PhD in sociology 90 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 3: in the University of California. The doctoral studies were marked 91 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 3: by a rigorous exploration of social structures and equalities. Themes 92 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 3: were resonate throughout her career. As a sociology professor, Dickson's 93 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 3: classroom was more than just a place for academic instruction. 94 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 3: It was a forum for radical ideas and critical debate. 95 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 3: Her teaching was infused with a strong feminist perspective, challenging 96 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 3: traditional notions and encouraging students to question societal norms. This 97 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 3: feminist ideology was not just an academic interest, but a 98 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 3: driving force behind her activism and the formation of my 99 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 3: political beliefs. However, even early on again in science, that 100 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:49,799 Speaker 3: something's a bit awry. According to some of her former 101 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 3: students and colleagues. It was also during those years which 102 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 3: became interested in mass social psychology and group behavior modification. 103 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:00,919 Speaker 3: She studied Raber J. Lufton's work and thought her. She 104 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 3: studied and admired total communities, accults, and other directed methods 105 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 3: of behavioral control such as alcoholics anonymous. She believed that 106 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 3: these programs provided positive ways to change people. Dixon's early 107 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 3: academic career also provided her with a platform to connect 108 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 3: with like minded individuals who shared her passion for social justice. 109 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 3: These connections were proved crucial as she moved beyond the 110 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 3: confines of academia and into the world of radical, pritical activism. 111 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 3: Her political awakening came during a time of significant social 112 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 3: and political upheaval. The sixties and seventies were decades marked 113 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 3: by civil rights movements, anti war protests, and a crowing 114 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 3: disillusionment with the status coop. Dixon was deeply influenced by 115 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:47,280 Speaker 3: the principles of Marxism, Leninism, and Maoism. Marxism provided her 116 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 3: with a free for understanding class struggle and exploitation inherent 117 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 3: and capitalist societies. Menin's organizational principles, particularly the concept of 118 00:06:55,600 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 3: the vanguard party, were also integral to Dixon's political thought. Argued, 119 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 3: of course, that a disciplined, centralized party was necessary to 120 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 3: lead the wilding class to revolution. Dixon adopted this idea wholeheartedly, 121 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 3: seeing the need for a tightly controlled, hierarchical organization to 122 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 3: con guide the proletaria towards socialism. Mao Sadong's influence on 123 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 3: Dixon was particularly evident in her approage to internal party dynamics. 124 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 3: Mao's emphasis on continuous revolution and self criticism as tools 125 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 3: for maintaining ideological purity resonated with Dixon. She implemented rigorous 126 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 3: criticism and self criticism sessions within her future party, a 127 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 3: practice that aimed to eliminate boucheor tendencies and reinforced commitment 128 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 3: to the party's goals. Dixon's political engagement wasn't limited to 129 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 3: theoretical discussions. She was actively involved in radical movements, participating 130 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 3: in protests and organizing efforts as we are to challenge 131 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 3: existing power structures. Her activism extended beyond national borders, as 132 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 3: she connected with international revolutionary movements and drew inspiration for 133 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 3: their struggles. The combination of these influences and experiences led 134 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 3: to the founding of the Democratic Worker's Party in nineteen 135 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 3: seventy four. Dixon's vision for the Democratic Worker's Party or 136 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 3: DWP was deeply rooted in this idea of Leninist democratic centralism, 137 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 3: Maoist self critique, and Marxist anti capitalism. But beyond Marx, 138 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 3: Lenin and Mao, the New Communist Movement or NCM played 139 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 3: a significant role in shape and Dixon's approach. The NCM 140 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 3: was a diverse collection of groups that emerged in the 141 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 3: late nineteen sixties and early nineteen seventies, advocating for a 142 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 3: revitalized communist movement in the United States. The NCM sought 143 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 3: to build new Marxist Leninist organizations that could address the 144 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 3: shortcomings of the old left and provide a fresh, militant alternative. 145 00:08:57,400 --> 00:08:58,199 Speaker 2: Dixon was of. 146 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 3: Course, deeply inspired by the NCAA emphasis on billion and 147 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 3: revolutionary vanguard, and his commitment to rigorous theoretical work and 148 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:09,719 Speaker 3: practical activism. At the time, the EWP was getting a 149 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 3: lot of credit for being one of the few feminists 150 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 3: and women led organizations in the new Communist movement, which 151 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 3: allowed the group to draw radicals from leftist circles as 152 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 3: well as the women's movement and the gay movement. When 153 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 3: most NCM groups were virulently a homophobic and dismissive of feminism, 154 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 3: the DWP had a unique alert billion. In her political career, 155 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:35,320 Speaker 3: Marlinne Dixon also contributed theoretically to the DWP with the 156 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 3: concept of proletarian and feminism, which allowed the DWP to 157 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 3: stand up both against class prejudice and sexism and for 158 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 3: the equality of all people. Over time, though her concept 159 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 3: of proletaria and feminism became less prominent in the DWP's 160 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 3: approach and in their literature. In the early stages, the 161 00:09:56,120 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 3: concept of proletarian feminism attracted a lot of people, including 162 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 3: Jan Jalilich, the author of Bounded Choice, who had been 163 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 3: part of the WP. The early days of the WP 164 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 3: were marked by a significant effort to recruit and train 165 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 3: new members. Dixon and her close associates focused on building 166 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 3: a cadre of dedicated revolutionaries who were deeply committed to 167 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 3: the party schools. These numbers were not just activists, but 168 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 3: ideological soldiers, appeared to dedicate their lives. 169 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 2: To the cause of socialism. 170 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 3: Recruitment often targets had young intellectuals and activists who disillusioned 171 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 3: with mainstream politics and eager for radical change. In this 172 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 3: early period, the parties organized study groups, protests, and community 173 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 3: outreach programs, all aimed at raising political consciousness and building 174 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:46,679 Speaker 3: support for the party's revolutionary agenda. Dixon's chism and intellectual 175 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 3: rigor inspired many, but her leadership style also had its challenges. 176 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 3: Billy on, she had very authoritarian tendencies influenced by her 177 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:00,400 Speaker 3: admiration for Mao Zadan, and it led to a highly 178 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 3: controlled and often repressive internal atmosphere. Members were subjugated to 179 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 3: rigorous criticism and self criticism sessions, and these sessions could 180 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 3: be psychologically taxing, creating an atmosphere of constant scrutiny and pressure. 181 00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 3: This is exemplary of social psychologist Anthony Pratkanis and Eliot 182 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 3: Aronson's seven step guide to create in a political cult, 183 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:28,839 Speaker 3: which included crucially maintaining a rigid internal regime. In these 184 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 3: early years, we can also see the signs of the 185 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 3: other steps, such as creating a distinct social reality, building 186 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 3: commitment through dissonance reduction, sending members to proselytize, and fixating 187 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 3: members on a promised land, the promised land being, of course, 188 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 3: international communism. The DWP grew steadily in its early years. 189 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 3: Full time members core of cadres or militants typically numbered 190 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:53,959 Speaker 3: between one hundred and twenty five and one hundred and 191 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 3: fifty people, but in certain periods there were between three 192 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 3: hundred and one thousand members at various creeds of affiliation. 193 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 3: One of the WP's primary areas of focus was labor 194 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 3: organizer Dixon and her colleagues saw the labor movement as 195 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,679 Speaker 3: a critical battleground for the struggle against capitalism, and they 196 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 3: dedicated significant resources to supporting labor strikes, organizing union drives, 197 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 3: and advocating for workers' rights. The DWP's members often worked 198 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 3: closely with existing labor unions, providing support and promoting a 199 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 3: more radical, class conscious approach to labor activism, and this 200 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:30,839 Speaker 3: involvement helped party gain credibility and trust among workers, who 201 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 3: saw the WP as genuine allies in their struggle. Members 202 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 3: were also active in campaigns for affordable housing, health care, 203 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 3: and education, working to build coalitions with other progressive organizations 204 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 3: and community groups. Political education was another cornerstone of the activities. 205 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 3: Dixon believed that a well informed and ideologically grounded membership 206 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 3: was essential for the party's success, so they had regular 207 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 3: study groups with jobs and lectures and Marxist theory, current events, 208 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 3: and revolutionary stratetum, and These activities are not limited to members, 209 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 3: but were also used as tools for outreach. Eventually, the 210 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 3: party's activities extended beyond its initial base in San Francisco 211 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 3: and reached other parts of California, even gaining attention on 212 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 3: a national scale. Dixon's ability to connect with other radical 213 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 3: movements and her strategic vision for the d WP's role 214 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 3: in the broad revolutionary struggle had played a significant part 215 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 3: in this growth, but despite their successes, behind the scenes 216 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 3: was not too hot, to put it lightly. While Dixon's 217 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 3: theoretical acumen and charm had attracted many to her cause, 218 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 3: her methods of maintaining control within the party with what 219 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 3: gave it its cult connotations. One of the central aspects 220 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 3: of Dixon's control was her personal domination over the party 221 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:52,120 Speaker 3: and its members. Dixon established herself as the undisputed leader 222 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 3: of the DWP, demanding absolute loyalty and obedience. Leylash described 223 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,920 Speaker 3: her as a large, loud woman who exuded a type 224 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:03,359 Speaker 3: of charisma that could be difficult for outsiders to comprehend. 225 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:08,199 Speaker 3: Her personal style was abrasive, and she was stern and domineering. Nonetheless, 226 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:10,959 Speaker 3: Dixon was able to exact commitment from her followers and 227 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 3: entailed devotion to her person and undying defense of her 228 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 3: actions as their leader. So we see a peculiar and 229 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 3: almost quanting resemblance to other historical movements like Heaven's Gates. 230 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 3: On the surface, they seem worlds apart. One is steeped 231 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 3: in political ideology, the other in spiritual salvation. But dive 232 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 3: deeper and I you'll find that the currents beneath their 233 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 3: surface flow with striking similarities. Take for instance, the role 234 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 3: of charisma like Apple White and the nettles of Heaven's Gate. 235 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:46,240 Speaker 3: Dixon used words as her craft, her instrument, speaking to 236 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,120 Speaker 3: eager audiences. We even a vision of hope that drew 237 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 3: people in. She wasn't just persuasive, she was magnetic. She 238 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 3: created a myth for herself that seemed to fit with 239 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 3: the revolutionary zie guist at the time. Lalish describes that 240 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 3: when she first joined the party, Dixon was a towering 241 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 3: presence who created an intense, almost sacred bond with them. 242 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 3: That speaks of how the followers were awed by her, 243 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 3: desperate to follow her vision, willing to endure her criticism 244 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 3: just to stay in her good graces. And when Dixon 245 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 3: would spend some time away and came back, they would 246 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 3: spend long, cruel and meetings where she would dissect every 247 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 3: decision they made and criticize everything they did in her absence, 248 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 3: showing them all the ways they had fallen short. It 249 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 3: was brutal, but also reinforced her authority over them, as 250 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 3: they wanted to get her approval at all times. One 251 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 3: of her documents on the development of Leninist democracy, told 252 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 3: the followers that the leadership was about authority, not popularity, 253 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 3: and whether we liked her or not, we had to 254 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 3: accept as the ultimate authority in the party. Later also 255 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 3: says that they were made to believe that being part 256 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 3: of the WP was a privilege. Authority wasn't just accepted, 257 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 3: it was revered, and this was the foundation of their 258 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 3: relationship with Dixon. She was the leader, the guiding force, 259 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 3: and they were the followers, committed, obedient, and always seeking 260 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 3: her approval. And yet there was a secret at the 261 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 3: heart of herler She was a myth maker. Her backstory 262 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 3: was curated, embellished to paint herself as a champion of 263 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 3: civil rights when the reality was far less dramatic. Systems 264 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 3: of control was another area where the DWP and Heaven's 265 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 3: Gates shared common ground. Both groups thrived on a mix 266 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 3: of carrot and stick promises of a better future, harsh 267 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 3: discipline for failure. Leaders would live apart from their followers, 268 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 3: hidden away while their followers toiled and sacrificed. Every day 269 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 3: was a test, every misstep a reason for criticism, and 270 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 3: leaders were never revealing themselves fully. They created a distance. 271 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 3: They were heightened their mystique and their authority. In the WP, 272 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 3: there was a very strict hierarchy and chain of command. 273 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,400 Speaker 3: Dixon was at this top. She had a selight few 274 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:19,400 Speaker 3: leaders below her, and decisions were made top down. Democratic centralism, 275 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,639 Speaker 3: which was a Leninist tactic that theoretically allowed for debate 276 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 3: and democracy, was really there to enforce obedience. Members were 277 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 3: also split into tears. You had trial members, candidate members, 278 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 3: and general members, each level carrier on distinct privileges and obligations. 279 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 3: An advancement was up to Dixon. She decided who leveled 280 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 3: up in the party. Sanctions for rule violations ranged from 281 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:51,640 Speaker 3: increased duties to expulsion, the severest being expulsion with prejudice 282 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:55,439 Speaker 3: effectively erase in the individual from party history and the 283 00:17:55,480 --> 00:18:00,639 Speaker 3: party's first purge, notably the quote unquote Lesbian Purge, exemplified 284 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 3: Dixon's control tactics. As a target had perceived threat within 285 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 3: the group and set a precedent for internal purchase that 286 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 3: instilled fair. 287 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:09,640 Speaker 2: And loyalty among the members. 288 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:14,360 Speaker 3: And then, lastly, there was transcendent belief, another area where 289 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:18,160 Speaker 3: Heaven's Skates and the DWP had common ground. For Heav'ts 290 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 3: Skate it was about transcendent human life to reach a 291 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:23,640 Speaker 3: higher plane of existence. For the WP, it was about 292 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 3: transforming society, reaching utopia through class struggle. The daily life 293 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:32,880 Speaker 3: of DWP members was highly regimented. Dixon had strict routines 294 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 3: and expectations demanded complete dedication to the party's activities. Members 295 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:42,120 Speaker 3: were subjected to intense scrutiny, particularly those of the evil 296 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:46,400 Speaker 3: middle class backgrounds, and this method of course effectively suppressed 297 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 3: descent and ensured the members remained tightly bound to Dixon's vision. 298 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:54,160 Speaker 3: This rerelent the schedule that had them within long hours, 299 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 3: both in their day jobs and unparty related tasks, left 300 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 3: them little time for pursuits or outside relationships, which also 301 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 3: helped Dixon maintain control over their lives. By limited members 302 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:08,880 Speaker 3: interactions with outsiders, Dixon minimized the risk of external influences 303 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:12,439 Speaker 3: underminding her authority, and the isolation extended to live in 304 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 3: arrangements as well as members lived community, which further reinforced 305 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,119 Speaker 3: their dependence on the party and their separation from mainstream society. 306 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 3: The combination of these control mechanisms created a highly controlled 307 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:28,120 Speaker 3: and insular environment within the WP, as members were constantly 308 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:32,000 Speaker 3: monitored by both Dixon and the other payers to ensure 309 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,720 Speaker 3: that any deviation from the party lying was quickly identified 310 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 3: and addressed. The use of fair guilt and psychological manipulation 311 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:42,159 Speaker 3: kept members in line. Of course, the control was not 312 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 3: just psychological. It was physical, because when you're isolated and 313 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:46,919 Speaker 3: you're working all the time, your body is going to 314 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 3: break down. You're exhausted, your burnt out, and the emotional 315 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 3: strain of constant criticism doesn't exactly help either. But all 316 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 3: of this were to keep party members in their place. 317 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,639 Speaker 3: The controversies surround the WP's methods and leadership eventually drew 318 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 3: attention from both within the leftist movement and from external observers. 319 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:10,920 Speaker 3: Critics argue that Dixon's authoritarianism when the party's cut like 320 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 3: practices were antithetical to the principles of socialism and genuine 321 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:18,200 Speaker 3: revolutionary activity, but these criticisms did little to all to 322 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 3: the internal dynamics of the WP During its peak. In 323 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 3: the early days, Dixon had followers truly believed the revolution 324 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 3: was just around the corner. By the nineteen eighties, recruitment 325 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 3: was faltering, purges was narrow in the organization's focus, and 326 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 3: the WP's aggressive tactics had led to conflict with other 327 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:42,119 Speaker 3: leftist groups. Dixon had grown dissolution. She had begun to 328 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:44,520 Speaker 3: see the local struggles they were taking part in as 329 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 3: insignificant as mere reformist gestures. She moved the party from 330 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 3: distributing a local newspaper to publishing dense academic journals. She 331 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,680 Speaker 3: developed the stain for world systems theory, which had once 332 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 3: been a guiding light in her movement, and rejected it 333 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:05,200 Speaker 3: as anti socialist and cynical. In her eyes, the United 334 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 3: States working class was no longer a beacon for evolution. Instead, 335 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 3: she placed her faith in the USSR in Eastern Europe, 336 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:15,440 Speaker 3: in distant lands where she believed the future of socialism lay. 337 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:19,119 Speaker 3: Her frequent travels to conferences in Europe and her focus 338 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 3: on theoretical debates alienated her members, as the heart of 339 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,639 Speaker 3: their struggle had been replaced with her distant, abstract vision 340 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 3: that none of them could grasp. But the real breaking 341 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 3: point came with her change in strategies. Dixon began to 342 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,280 Speaker 3: see the Petibo Rossi as potential allies instead of enemies, 343 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 3: as they had always been a radical shit from ideology 344 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 3: that her party had been taught beyond all that her 345 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:45,120 Speaker 3: drinking had become more uncontrolled than usual, and her abuse 346 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:48,840 Speaker 3: of the members had increased. So in late nineteen eighty five, 347 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 3: a few of her members decided that enough was enough. 348 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:54,479 Speaker 3: While Dixon was away on one of her many trips, 349 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:58,160 Speaker 3: they gathered in secret, shared their frustrations, and they'd bear 350 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 3: the truth over what had become of the party. When 351 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:04,160 Speaker 3: Dixon returned, she was met with the harshest reality of war. 352 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,119 Speaker 3: They told her that the party was over, that she 353 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,640 Speaker 3: was expelled, and that they were dissolving the party. Her 354 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:13,360 Speaker 3: reaction was, of course, a mix of disbelief and anger, 355 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 3: and a final bit of confrontation in the collapse of 356 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 3: everything she had built. Afterwards, there was of course a 357 00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:23,439 Speaker 3: mess to clean up. The members, having endured abuse for 358 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 3: so long, including financial abuse, took it upon themselves to 359 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 3: divide the assets amongst themselves. As a final small compensation 360 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 3: for the years they had given. Each person received a 361 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 3: poetry sum, a mere fraction of what they had invested. 362 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 3: But at last, the party's ideological crises, weakened leadership and 363 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:48,040 Speaker 3: internal strife resulted in the organization's dissolution. The party was 364 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:50,200 Speaker 3: indeed over, and they could start their. 365 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 2: Life a new. 366 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 1: It Could Happen Here as a production of cool Zone Media. 367 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from cool Zone Media, visit our website 368 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:04,360 Speaker 1: coolzonemedia dot com or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, 369 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can 370 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 1: find sources for It could Happen Here, updated monthly at 371 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: coolzonemedia dot com slash sources. Thanks for listening.